Hi, I’m Karin Koch, the creator and owner of the Pooseum in Tasmania, a science museum dedicated entirely to the intriguing world of animal droppings.
“How on earth did you come up with such an idea?” I can hear you ask.
Well, with a background in arts, tourism and event management, I was looking for a new project when I read a story about a small caterpillar being able to launch its poo up to 1.5 m away. Now that’s an achievement, wouldn’t you agree? A person 1.8 m tall would have to eject their poo 70 m to compete! Intrigued, I started to do some research on animal faeces, and soon the idea for a poo museum was born.
Humans too often feel embarrassed talking about bowel movements, a normal bodily function, because it’s considered gross. Animals see poo in a very different light. For them, poo is a valuable resource. They use it to live and lay eggs, mark their territory, catch a meal, and attract sexual partners. Faeces are eaten, played with, and used for self-defence. Some animals evade predators by looking like poo!
If you would like to know why koala joeys eat their mother’s droppings, how bats avoid soiling themselves, which animals are responsible for poo showers, or how some owls use the faeces of other animals to catch their prey, or if you want to see some real Tasmanian devil, emu, lion, snake, and even fossilised poo, then the Pooseum is the right place for you.
Hope to see you soon!
